THE INSTITUTION  

Don Bosco Boys’ Town is a Charitable Educational Institution founded and administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious society of Catholic Priests and Brothers. The headquarters of the Society is located in Rome. Don Bosco Boys' Town started by the humble work of Rev. Fr. Sean Mc Ferran ably assisted by Br. Joseph Cherian in the year 1985 the Institution grew big enough to accommodate and train around 250 boys and girls through a two year Technical Programme at the Karen Center.The Institution expanded to offer Secretarial and Computer programmes for both young men and girls, in the year 1994 and 1996 respectively. See : History

THE OBJECTIVE

The objective of Don Bosco Boys` Town is to provide technical, moral and total human value formation education to young men and girls to enable them become contributive honourable citizens of the country. The students usually are of the age bracket of 18-22 and they come from the very poor and desperate segment of the Kenyan society. The above is achieved through a technical programme of two years. Because of the desperate and helpless background of the students, the Institution follows a different, patient and flexible approach to suit their learning In spite of the very limited funds, the Institution does everything to make this learning more or less perfect. The Institution takes pride in doing this because it is in the interest of the poor and the deprived.

THE TRAINING

The training consists of a two-year technical programme backed by relevant workshop practice sessions. The following are the trades taught at the Institution: Electricals, Mechanical Engineering (Machinists, Fitters/Turners), Welders, Motor Vehicle Mechanic, Masonry, Carpentry/Joinery, Plumbing and Tailoring. The students participate in closely supervised apprenticeship while preparing for the Grade III Government Trade Test which are held every year. During the first year, students choose a course of their liking. During the second year they are allowed to do a different course that supplements the previous one.

VISION

We the Salesians/Teachers/Workers of Don Bosco Boys’Town, believe that we have been called and sent by God to empower young people, especially the marginalized the materially poor, street boys/girls and orphans in the charismatic style of Don Bosco.

MISSION

Our Ministry to the young shall aim at preparing young boys and girls for life with technical skills as well as with skills for a life of dignity. In doing so, we prepare them to be good citizens of God and our country. We consider formation to Faith, Respect, Love, Justice, Freedom, and Peace to be of primary importance.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Don Bosco Boys Town has a boarding facility for 168 boys. The infrastructure also accommodate girls to do their studies as day scholars. The staff are very well qualified. The staff also undertake capacity building seminars to upgrade their skills every now and then. There is a disciplinary committee formed by the staff and it is headed by the Principal. Our overall management structure consists of the following personnel:

Director

Principal

Administrator

Vice- principal

Production Manager

Department Heads

Staff

Student Leader

 

Each department is equipped with adequate machinery for the training and production purpose. Special care is taken to separate production departments and the class rooms so that the learning environment is conducive to the students. The Don Bosco Boys' Town is situated 20 km away from the city center for the proper ambience needed for the training. There are also recreation facilities and extra curricular activities which are necessary for the overall formation of the skills and character.

ENABLEMENT OF THE STUDENTS

The Institution is of the belief that to strive and reasonably carry forward one’s life, simple technical training alone is not enough. Students should develop also certain adaptive and outreach skills. Towards that end, the institute provides the following.

Expression and Social Intergration

The Don Bosco education should not only provide the skills for the students to earn an income but also should provide the skills of self-expression and integration with the rest of the society. This is done for the much larger purpose of making the individual to be a just citizen and participate in the national development process in life. Therefore, students are encouraged to participate in sports, games, scouting, music and drama throughout the training period.

 

Past Pupils` Association

The institute has established this association in order that students develop and continue some fraternal relationship which should help them in their personalitydevelopment and give them the existentially needed outreach skills. This framework is operating with reasonable success. The institute keeps regular contact with considerable number of the past alumni and link them more with the outside world.

See Past Pupils

Placement Assistance

The institute has also established a Job Placement Programme by which business organizations are contacted to help the students launch their worklife in their organizations. As interim period hardships soon after the graduation could be very unsustainable given the background of the students, the institute considers this as a necessary bridge that has to be provided.

See Job Placement

The following has been the employment data of the students who pass out of Don Bosco Boys` Town.

Self-employed : 20%

Employment through placement : 30%

Employed in companies doing different work : 15 %

Self employed through tool-kit loans or working in companies using the same : 16%

Whereabouts not known : 19%

CERTIFICATION

After the successful training the trainees are awarded Don Bosco Merit Certificate and the Government Trade Test Certificate either in one trade or in supplementary trades which the candidates could have taken as optional.

ENTERPRISE

Several people with very humble education and means have started something Small. They have expanded them with sweat and toil and have great wealth creators to nations. Why cannot a few of our students also try that path than simply thinking only about being employed. As we all know the job market is very tight where too many keep chasing too few jobs. Some economic statistics say that annually 750,000 Kenyans enter the job market in search of jobs. Unfortunately, the growth of the Kenyan economy is also not adequate to meet that number. Therefore, some of the students should try entrepreneurships. Of course it is not that easy. Lack of experience, very scarce resources, inadequate support framework, etc come in their way. However, as we have seen, some of the alumni have started car repair garages, some of them cycle repair shops, a few of them electrical repair workshops, and some kind of tiny enterprises as a beginning. Though their success rate has not been very encouraging, the institution has made it a point to follow the incrementation principle and steady its effort in that sphere. True, in due course of time the results would be better.

EXPANSION

The institution believes in constant expansion. In order to widen the opportunity of both young men and girls, Don Bosco Boys` Town has also incorporated a Secretarial Programme which is open only for girls who have completed form IV(1994) and a Computer Center which is opened for boys and girls who have completed form IV(1996). The former provides training in Book-Keeping, Office Management, Shorthand, Typing and Business English. Of course some nominal fee is charged for these courses.

DON BOSCO INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA

There are various other Don Bosco institutions in the country helping the young people in various ways.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Upper Hill, Nairobi.
This is the head quarters for Kenya and Tanzania. Administrative work and co-ordination of the various projects.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Embu-Kenya.
Secondary school and a polytechnic.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Makuyu – Kenya.
Technical school and pastoral work for the people.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Kakuma –Refugee Camp-Kenya.
Technical school for the refugees.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Korr-Kenya.
Pastoral work for the people.

Salesians of Don Bosco, Nzaikoni-Kenya.
Pastoral work and a computer center.

Bosco Boys, Kuwinda-Kenya.
Project for the rehabilitation of street children, and Primary school

DBYES,Karen-Kenya.
Salesian Youth ministry and pastoral work.
Technical school.

Don Bosco Utume, Karen-Kenya.
Studentate of Theology.

WE STRIVE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE YOUNG. WE TRY TO CULTIVATE MORE AND MORE JUST CITIZENS.YOUR SUPPORT TO OUR JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAMME BE A GREAT SOURCE OF STRENGTH TO US.